Problems Encountered among Teachers in Alternative Learning System

The Alternative Learning System serves as a lifeline for learners who cannot access formal education, making it essential to explore the problems encountered among ALS teachers. This study examined the problems encountered among teachers in the Alternative Learning System and how these problems correlate to their profiles. Specifically, it determined the respondents’ profile in terms of age, sex, position, years of teaching experience, highest educational attainment, and pedagogical training; assessed the level of problems encountered among teachers across four key areas; funding, learning materials, support for teachers, and infrastructure; and identified significant relationships between the teachers’ profile and the problems they encountered. This study involved one hundred seventy-two (172) ALS teachers as respondents using descriptive-correlational research design and universal sampling was the method employed. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Findings revealed that the majority of ALS teachers aged between 25 to 34 years old, female and holding the position as Community ALS Implementer. Most respondents had a Bachelor’s degree, 1-3 years of teaching experience and attended lesson planning training. Among the problems encountered, support for teachers got the highest mean which is interpreted as High while learning materials got the lowest mean rating which is also interpreted as High. There is a significant relationship between the respondents’ profile and the problems encountered in all variables. The study concluded that teachers will undergo professional development program in the use of learning materials. The theory on teacher-role context fit suggest that the alignment between teachers’ professional profile and the demands of their teaching environment influences the severity of problems they encounter in their role. Therefore, it is recommended to implement structured and differentiated support systems, strengthen professional development beyond basic lesson planning, and ensure equitable provision of teaching resources in improving instructional quality and program sustainability in reaching underserved learners.